Sensors, recording devices, and other components must often be secured to watercraft and maritime equipment without compromising waterproofing or pressurization structures. Mechanical methods of affixation which penetrate the target surface can compromise the water resistance and/or controlled pressurization of a water craft.
Current non-penetrating methods of affixation known in the art make them impractical for use on ships and maritime environmental surfaces, particularly for in situ modifications in a marine environment. Adhesives presently known in the art require cleaned surfaces, and take time to cure or may be chemically unstable or hazardous. Magnetic devices are unsuitable for attachment to polymer, fiberglass, wooden, and non-ferrous surfaces. Suction devices may be destabilized or compromised by imperceptible impurities or deposits on the target surface to which they are attached.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,905,103 teaches an effective non-penetrating fastening system for multiple types of surfaces in a marine environment without a complex system for attachment. However, this apparatus requires a power source and electronic controller, which presents limitations for maritime environments.
There is an unmet need in the art for a minimally invasive, highly stable method of affixation for maritime vehicle surface components. There is a further unmet need in the art for an apparatus capable of attaching a fastener to a target surface in a marine environment without creating hazards for workers or damaging the target surface.